Macerator for hulling pits or seeds



Sept. 25, 1951 H N, DYBVIG 2,569,156

MACERATOR F'OR HULLING PITS OR SEEDS Filed March l1, 1949 l \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\unll/////////////ff/f/ 6 fsa Illilllllllllllll 30 l. 2 INVENTOR.

NEA/EY N. OYBV/G m @y Y T154 Bygqw Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE MACERATOR FOR HULLINGv PITS R SEEDS- Henry N. Dybvig, near Colton, S. Dak.

Application March 11, 1949, Serial No. 80,868

Claims. l

This invention relates to a macerator and more 'particularly a macerator for separating the pulp' from the pits or stones to be used for seed purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for removing the pulp from seed pits such as the pulp from the pits of plums, cherries, cedars, walnuts and other fruits, nuts or seeds, the pits of which are planted by nurserymen in producing seedlings.

This device may be referred to as a batch macerator, in that a batch of fruit or seeds is placed in a hopper, the bottom of which is provided with a rotatably mounted beater or agitator which subjects the seeds to centrifugal forces, the beater being provided with upwardly directed blade-like projections, radially or spirally disposed, to throw the seeds against the wall of the hopper, a stream of water being added to the hopper, the water, together with the pulp draining through an annular slot or groove located between the margin of the beater and the wall of the hopper to drain the dislodged pulp from the batch, so that as the operation continues all of the pulp is removed from the pits, the pulp being washed away, draining through a suitable spout provided therefor in the bottom of the hopper below the beater. When the batch has been cleansed, the pits are removed through a side door or opening provided with a suitable closure, so

as to put the device in readiness for another batch. A frustrum conical ring surrounds the beater and is so arranged that by adjusting the beater upwardly or downwardly, the width of the slot surrounding the beater is varied.

Another object of this invention is to provide a macerator that removes the pulp from pits and thoroughly washes the pits without cracking or mutilating the pits, which device is easily produced, is efcient, dependable and'at the same time sturdy.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a macerator.

Figure 2 is a transverse, cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, the reference character I0 designates a base or pedestal supporting a gear housing I2 mounted between the base or pedestal I0 and the hopper I4. Suitable bolts or screws I6 are used to xedly secure the gear housing I2 to the base I0. Bolts or screws I8 passing through suitable lugs 20 integral with the gear housing I2 are used in securing the hopper I4 to the gear housing.

In the embodiment shown herein, the base I0, the gear housing I2 and the hopper I4 have been shown as made from castings. Instead of these parts being made of castings, they could be fabricated from sheet metal, welded or otherwise secured together.

The hopper I4 is provided with a frustrum conical, ring-like, inwardly directed portion 22. In the embodiment shown, this ring-like portion has been shown as integral with the hopper. It could be a separate membersecured in position in any suitable manner. This inwardly directed, ringlike projection cooperates with a beater or impeller 24 to form an annular slot, groove or opening 26.

The beater 24 includes a plate-like base 28, having mounted thereon a plurality of radially disposed angle bars 30. The plate-like base 28 is secured by welding, or in any other suitable manner, to a capped tubular member 32, provided with internally disposed splines engaging the splines on a centrally disposed shaft 34 mounted in a bearing portion 36 in the base of the hopper I4. The shaft 34 extends downwardly and is journalled in end thrust bearings 38 to prevent endwise movement of the shaft 34. A bevelled gear 4l! is keyed to the shaft 34. The bevelled gear 40 is provided with a hub portion 42 seated against the lower end of the bearing portion 36, so asto prevent the shaft 34 from raising upwardly through the bearing portion 36.

In order to provide axial adjustment of the beater 24 with respect to the shaft 34, the cap 32a of the tubular member 32 is threaded so as to receive an adjusting screw 50, provided with an annular collar or ring 52 rotatably mounted in a collar 54 having a shouldered recess and being connected to the shaft 34 by screws 51. Instead of using the annular collar on the lower end of the screw, a ball and socket connection could be used for connecting the screw to the end of the shaft. Y

The upper end ofthe screw threadedly receives a hand wheel 56 held in position by a suitable pin or key 58 passing through the hub of the hand wheel 56 and through an aperture near the upper end of the screw 50. It can readily be seen that by manually rotating the screw 50, the beater 24 may be raised upwardly or down wardly, as the case may be, so as to adjust the width of the slot 26. The width of the slot is less than, but not much less than the minimum dimension of the pits that are being treated. If, for example, black walnuts are to be hulled, the opening z;or: s1ot 26 lis preferably very large,- on the order of one inch in width. On the other hand, if, for example, seeds from cedars are to be hulled, the beater must be adjusted down-l wardly so as to provide a slot only a very small fraction of an inch in width. This -adjustment is accomplished by adjusting the screweSll.4V The,v

beater forms a bottom for the seeds or pits.

After the screw 50 has been adjusted, it is pref-v erably locked in position by means of a lock nut 60 that is tightened against the cap 32a..

Insteadof adjusting the beaterupwardly and downwardly, ajrustrum conical collar surround ing the ,beater -could be formed .from aY separate piece and this collar. adjustedupwardly or down'- wardly,jas the. Case might require, to thereby adjustthe 4 width of the slot. Furthermore, instead of usinga frustrum conical ringsurrounding they beater, a ring, so designed that Vthe diameter of the' ring could beY increased'or decreased could be,used..

The cover, 90 lis provided with a nozzle 86 adaptedto haveattached thereto a hose'82 for supplying ,Water to the batch Vof fruit or nuts to bejmacerated.` A compartment 86 llocated below thebeater 24 'is provided with an outlet drain or opening 88 communicating with a spout 99,`\

through whichthe pulp, together with the water, isI drained.

The side Wall of `the hopper I4 is provided with an-openingf92 normally closed by a door or closure 94 mountedfor sliding movement in a pair of guides 9 6.v The door orclosure 94 is provided with a nger grip member or handle 9S for use in opening and closing the door or closure. The pits, upon the macerating or hulling operation being-completed, are ejected from the hopper through the opening 92 and guided into a suitable vessel or container by a spout l09.`

After a batch of fruit or seeds has been placed in the macerator, the beater Zllis rotated by a mechanismthat will 'now be described. The bevelle'd gear 40 meshes with -a pinion 62 keyed to a shaft 64 journalled in bearings 66 and (i3.Y

The `outer-end ofthe shaft 64 supports a suitablev pulleyfl keyedfthereto. This may be a flat-face pulley in the event the prime mover is provided with `alilat-face pulley, such as farmtractors and the-like. On the otherhand, 'if the prime mover is providedwith a V-belt pulley or pulleys, a V- beltfpulleyor pulleys could be substituted for the pulley 10.

' Mode of operationV Uponpthe removal of a cover or lid 80 'a batch oiseeds or pits, together with their hulls'or pulp,

is placed in the hopper lll.. When the batch has been placed in the hopper the beater 2li is rotated through Vthe prime mover driving the pulley 10 and the mechanism. driven thereby. This agitates the batch, sending the fruit or seeds outwardly against ,the wall of the hopper by means of centrifugal force, so as to macerate or fracture the pulp. Water may be supplied to the batch through the hose 82; to thereby flush the removed pulp or'hulls; as the case may be, through the slot 26' into the compartment 86 located-below thevbeater- 24,-the pulp or'hulls removed by meansl of the handle I D2, a new batch put into the hopper and the operation repeated.

Other macerators have been used in the past, such macerators performing a grinding operation, to thereby remove the hulls or the pulp. This grinding action is severe and with some makes of macerators approximately ten percent of theseedsxare.cracked or injured, resulting in a loss. .That being the case, many nurseries, esj pecially when 'seeds are scarce, employ hand labor to hull the seeds. One man can remove the-'pulp fr'o'm some overthree v bushels' of plums inv voneda'yf which 4fis considered a good Jdays work.' The-@macerator vdisclosed herein' can` macerate the pulp on the same type of seedat the ratei of fsix' to ten` bushels per hour without cracking 'orsinjuring any 'of the seeds.Y F'urther- A more, it has-'been found'very'eiective ontypes" of. seedsl'having an lextremely toughhull or pulp surroundingthe.seed;'as for example, .seeds from i cedar trees, walnuts, et cetera. The macerator disclosed" herein has.. been foundvery eiective in hullingcedar seeds and Vblack walnuts.

Although rthe preferred; embodimentA discloses: a beater provided with radially vdisposed bladelike projections,- any other suitable type of beater could be used, as yforxexample, a beater provided with spiralwribs` or grooves, used in'impa'rting centrifugal-forcetolthe seeds being treated.Y

Although .the-preferred embodiment ofthe device haszbeen described,-itY will beunderstoodf that withinftheL purview of thisv invention various changes may Abeuna'de-in'theform, details, prowv portion'and*arrangement ofY parts, the combina` tionfthereoi and mode'of operation-which gen@ erally'- stated consistslin a device capable of car ryingfout the objects set forth, as disclosed and dened in the appended claims.

Having thus'describedmy invention I claim:

1. A macerator for use in hulling seeds or pits embedded-in pulp, said macerator including a hopper, said hopper being provided with an inwardly directed smooth ring-like portion Ain* spaced relation from fthe bottom thereof,y said ring-like portion having a frustrum-conical inner surfacewith the maximumA width at the top or the l ring-likel portion, aV beater rotatably mounted Within said ring-like portion, the bottom of the beatersimulating a disc having agitatingmeans Yprojecting upwardly therefrom, said beater having a peripheral portion in spaced relation from the ring-like portion so as to form' a slot surrounding the beater, adjustable means for adjusting one of said portions axially with respect to the other of said portions to thereby adjust the width'of theslot so that the width of the slot is less than but not much less than the minimum thickness of the seedsor pits to be hulled, and means for rotating the beater so as to agitate the seeds or pits and the pulp sur- 1 rounding the seeds or pits so as to cause the pulp to become macerated and dislodged from the seeds or pits the hulls passing through the slot, the seeds or pits remaining above the beater.

2.1A batch macerator for use in hulling seeds or Y-pits embedded vin pulp, said macerator includ ing a hopper, said hopper being provided with an inwardly directed ring-like portion mounted in spaced relation from the bottom of the hopper, said ring-like portion having a frustrum-conical inner smooth surface with the maximum width at the top of the ring-like portion, a beater rotatably mounted within said ring-like portion, said beater including a disc-like bottom portion having upwardly directed agitating means, the beater cooperating with the ring-like portion to form an annular slot, adjustable meansfor supporting the beater, the adjustment of said adjustable means raising or lowering the beater so as to increase or decrease the width of the slot, the slot being preferably adjusted so as to have a width less than but not much less than the minimum thickness of the seeds or pits to be hulled, and means for rotating the beater so as to agitate the seeds or pits and the pulp surrounding the seeds or pits so as to cause the pulp to become macerated and dislodged from the with the ring-like portion to form an annular slot, a splined shaft'rotatably mounted in the bottom of the hopper having the splined end projecting upwardly, a tubular housing provided with internal splines mounted on said shaft, said housing supporting the beater, means for adjust- A ing the housing axially with respect to the shaft seeds or pits the hulls passing through the slot,

the seeds or pits remaining above the beater.

3. A batch macerator for use in hulling seeds or pits embedded in pulp, said macerator includn ing a hopper having a smooth inner surface, said hopper being provided with an inwardly directed ring-like portion mounted in spaced relation from the bottom of the hopper, said ring-like portion having a frustrum-conical inner surface with the maximum width at the top of the ring-like portion, a beater rotatably mounted within said ring-like portion, said beater including a disclike bottom portion having upwardly directed agitating means, the beater cooperating with the ring-like portion to form an annular slot, adjustable means for supporting the beater, the adjustment of said adjustable means raising or lowering the beater so as to increase or decrease the Width of the slot, the slot being preferably adjusted so as to have a width less than but not much less than the minimum thickness of the seeds or pits to be hulled, means for rotating the beater so as to agitate the seeds or pits and the pulp surrounding the seeds or pits so as to cause the pulp to become macerated and dislodged from the seeds or pits, and means for adding water to the batch in the hopper so as to flush the pulp through the slot surrounding the beater, the seeds or pits remaining on top of the beater.

4. A batch macerator for use in hulling seeds or pits embedded in pulp, said macerator including a hopper having a smooth inner surface, said hopper being provided with an inwardly directed ring-like portion mounted in spaced relation from the bottom of the hopper, said ring-like portion having a frustrum-conical inner surface with the maximum width at the top of the ringlike portion, a beater rotatably mounted within said ring-like portion, said beater including a disc-like bottom portion having upwardly directed agitating means, the beater cooperating to thereby adjust the beater with respect to the frustrum-conical ring-like portion to increase or decrease the width of the slot, and means for rotating the shaft to thereby rotate the beater so as to agitate the seeds or pits and the pulp surrounding the seeds or pits to cause the pulp to become macerated and dislodged from the seeds or pits the hulls passing through the slot, the seeds orpits remaining above the beater.

5. A batch macerator for use in hulling seeds or pits embedded in pulp, said macerator including a hopper having a smooth inner surface, said hopper being provided with an inwardly directed ring-like portion mounted in spaced relation from the bottom of the hopper, said ring-like portion having a frustrum-conical inner surface with the maximum width at the top of the ringlike portion, a beater rotatably mounted within said ring-like portion, said beater including a disc-like bottom portion having upwardly directed agitating means, the beater cooperating with the ring-like portion to form an annular slot, a splined shaft rotatably mounted in the bottom of the hopper having the splined end projecting upwardly, a tubular housing provided with internal splines mounted on said shaft, said housing supporting the beater, means for adjusting the housing axially with respect to the shaft to thereby adjust the beater with respect to the frustrum-conical ring-like portion to increase or decrease the width of the slot, means for rotating the shaft to thereby rotate the beater so as to agitate the seeds or pits and the pulp surrounding the seeds or pits to cause the pulp to become macerated and dislodged from the seeds or pits, and means for adding water to the batch in the hopper so as to ush the pulp through the slot surrounding the beater, the seeds or pits remaining on top of the beater.

HENRY N. DYBVIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSA Number Name Date 23,431 Selser Mar. 29, 1859 42,371 Hepburn Apr. 19, 1864 309,189 Belvney Dec. 16, 1884 859,842 Robinson July 9, 1907 1,923,806 Anstiss Aug. 22, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 676,448 France Nov. 28, 1929 

